'It's A Lifestyle Change!' Mock the Mustache of Falcons' Arthur Smith?

“It’s a lifestyle change," Arthur Smith says as he reveals to Falcons world his new mustache, keeping a straight face - and a straight 'stache. "It’s not for everyone."
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Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith tries to avoid making massive statements during his frequent meetings with the media. But on Wednesday, he made such a statement without saying a word at all.

“It’s a lifestyle change," Smith said as he revealed to the world his new mustache, keeping a straight face - and a straight 'stache. "It’s not for everyone."

Indeed, this bit of facial hair is for some very specific groups, it can be argued. "Saturday Night Live" characters performing old "Da' Bears" skits. Porn stars. Men without razors.

There is something "machismo" about it all if done right. It suggests self-confidence, leadership, powerful character... now, can facial hair help a too-often-mediocre football team get up and over the hump and into the playoffs?

If that last part works out, an easy prediction: Falcons home games will suddenly be occupied by other men, seeking to show off to the world their own self-confidence, leadership and powerful character ... by growing their own mustaches.

There is the flip side to this, too, unfortunately. Just as a celebrity can popularize a certain style - almost a century ago men started wearing undershirts because Clark Gable wore one in "It Happened One Night,'' and more recently, women started doing all sorts of artificial things to their bodies because Kim Kardashian became famous for being famous - the trend-setting concept can backfire.

God forbid, but if the Arthur Smith-led 2023 Falcons are failures? It might kill mustaches forever.


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Mike Fisher
MIKE FISHER

Mike Fisher - as a newspaper beat writer and columnist and on radio and TV, where he is an Emmy winner - has covered the NFL since 1983, is the author of two best-selling books on the NFL.